


Wrapping

by soul_writerr



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Actors, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining, alternate careers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:33:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23431747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soul_writerr/pseuds/soul_writerr
Summary: Sonny and Rafael are both stars of a TV show and their fans are invested in shipping their characters. Personally, Sonny isn't too happy about that, but only because he's not looking to have his own heart broken.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 23
Kudos: 133
Collections: April 2020 Barisi Bingo





	Wrapping

**Author's Note:**

> I had a hard time figuring out what career to give them but I ended up LOVING THIS VERSE. I've been meaning to write a fic where at least one of them is an actor, but why not both, right?
> 
> I wanna thank Chey for naming Sonny's character and for yelling along with me about them. Enjoy <3

Rafael looked so beautiful it took Sonny aback for a moment, but he pulled himself together and knelt in front of him. Rafael’s face twisted in anger, and he looked about to spit on Sonny, but he pressed his lips into a grim line and didn’t say anything.

“I’m sorry,” Sonny said tentatively, and Rafael scoffed, turning away from him in his chair. He looked vulnerable, hurt.

“Sorry?,” Rafael snarled. “You shot at me, knocked me out then I woke up alone in a hospital bed and now you’re telling me you’re  _ sorry _ ?”

Sonny let his head fall forward and sighed a shaky breath; he let his body sag. “I never meant for you to get caught up in this, I swear.”

“What is  _ this _ exactly?,” he stood up, seemingly uncomfortable with Sonny’s proximity. “How exactly did I end up living with a murderer?”

“I’m not a murderer,” Sonny stood up. “You weren’t supposed to be there and I had to cover for us. They would have hurt you.”

Rafael turned to look at him, eyes flashing. God, he was art in movement, it was beautiful to see. 

“So you decided to hurt me yourself?,” he hissed, shaking his head. “I trusted you. I shared my whole life with you. I never suspected you were a  _ criminal _ , not  _ you _ , always so kind and caring. How could you?”

“If you’d just let me explain,” he tried, taking small steps towards Rafael, invading his personal space again. “Please, just give me a chance. There  _ is  _ an explanation for this.”

“You’re a liar,” Rafael said, and this time his handsome face twisted in agony. “Why should I believe you now?”

“I  _ never  _ lied to you,” Sonny said fiercely. “I never told you the whole truth, yeah, but what I did tell you was all true.”

Rafael looked at him for a couple beats, studying his face. Sonny hoped it reflected the person he really was, not the man Rafael had seen, gun in hand, shooting.

“Please,” Sonny said, reaching to hold on to Rafael’s arm. “Just listen to me,  _ please _ . Don’t let this be the end. I’m still me.”

Sonny knew his own face showed his own agony now, desperation, a horrific fear of losing the man standing in front of him.

“Start talking,” Rafael finally said, and Sonny heard himself exhale again.

They were so, so close, and Sonny wanted to lean in even further. He wanted to share Rafael’s air, he wanted to take him in his arms right there and then.

He had no idea when it happened, and he knew it was ill-advised, but Sonny had fallen in love with Rafael Barba.

“Cut!,” came Olivia’s booming voice, and suddenly the lights were all back on and the crew stepped in to reset the scene. “Good job! Very intense, Sonny. We’re resetting for Rafael’s take, but before that you two need to go into the apartment set. The network wants to do some interviews about the season premiere.” 

Sonny blinked back into reality, still holding Rafael’s arm tightly. The other man looked satisfied, proud, as he often did when a scene went remarkably well.

“Alright,” Rafael nodded, and accepted a bottle of water from a PA. Sonny let go of his arm to grab the one offered to him. “That was really good, Sonny.”

Sonny looked at him, and his face started heating up. “Nah, you gave me a lot to work with. Miguel really is hurt, uh?”

“I think he’d be more hurt about the betrayal than about the fact that you might be a murderer,” he chuckled. “I’m going to play that up for my takes.”

“They’re waiting for you,” the PA said, taking away their water and waving them towards the other set. Sonny didn’t even get the chance to take a single sip, too distracted by Rafael smiling so proudly at him.

They both followed the PA into the next set, and Kat Tamin, from the social media team, was already waiting for them. There were two director chairs side by side in the middle of the room, the camera pointing directly at them. Kat barely looked up from her iPad as they each took a seat.

“Make up?,” Kat called over her shoulder, then turned to them with a greeting smile. “Always great to see you guys. How’s the new season going?”

“Intense,” Sonny said dramatically, then pointed at Rafael. “I might just kill him.”

Kat laughed. “That’d be great for ratings,” she said, then started scrolling through her iPad again. “We’re doing two short videos for YouTube and Twitter.”

“For promos or teasers?,” Rafael asked, eyes closed as one of the make up artists applied powder down his nose.

“Both,” Kat said. “We’ll start off with promo, remembering last season and what fans expect for the next. No spoilers, okay?”

“Copy that,” Sonny said, smiling at the make up artist as he blotted his forehead softly. “Thanks.”

“Ready?,” Kat asked them, then the camera light turned from red to green at their nods. “In the season finale we found out that Marcus was actually lying to Miguel, what is it like playing that change of dynamics?”

“It feels fresh,” Sonny said enthusiastically. “We’ve been playing these characters for three years now and they’ve gone from acquaintances to good friends, so--,”

“Possibly more, according to the internet,” Rafael teased. He liked to joke about the fact that people ‘shipped’ their characters; Sonny wasn’t as amused.

However, he nodded along. “Yeah, exactly. So it’s interesting for us as actors to suddenly have to play with this animosity.”

Rafael laughed lightly “ _ Animosity _ . You shot at me.” 

“And that was fun!,” he smiled. 

“Would you like to shoot him too, Rafael?,” Kat asked jokingly.

“No, I prefer stabbing,” he didn’t even hesitate.

Sonny couldn’t help but laugh.

“And what do you expect fans to take from the season premiere?”

Rafael considered that for a moment, and Sonny watched thoughts dance across his face. He was fascinating. “Pay attention to the confrontations between our characters, that added new layers to them both. A lot of truths revealed in their words, a lot of secrets, and the tension will only build from here.”

“I was amazed when I read the script,” Sonny continued. “Because they’re really giving us a lot of insights about how these characters think and how they feel about each other at this point. They were friends, and I do believe that was genuine despite everything, and that doesn’t just go away.”

Rafael nodded in agreement. “There’s uncertainty about how far the other can go considering the bond they’ve built over the years, so we’ve just been talking nonstop about how this affects them. I’ve been wondering if Miguel would  _ actually  _ hurt Marcus if it ever came to that.”

“Rafael’s got it down to perfection when it comes to the way Miguel’s mind works, so we’re playing off of what Marcus is going to do and how Miguel is going to react, but yeah, a lot of layers to consider.”

“Could they come back from this and be friends again?,” Kat asked.

“Friends? I don’t know,” Sonny turned to look at Rafael, giving him an opening to talk about the elephant in the room. “Do you think Miguel would join the dark side?”

Rafael shot him a half-smile. “I’d like that, as an actor, but I don’t know. His morals seem unshakable to me.”

“Maybe Marcus can shake them,” he winked, and Rafael smirked.

“Oh, you’d love that, wouldn’t you?,” he teased. Sonny swallowed hard.

Kat took their cue. “Speaking of which, a lot of fans are interested in seeing your characters explore a more  _ romantic _ side of their dynamics. What do you think?”

There it was. 

“I think there is a lot that could be explored, for sure,” Rafael said. They had talked about this endlessly, ever since the beginning of season 1, when things had just  _ clicked _ . “They were friends before but they didn’t really  _ know _ each other. With Marcus’ betrayal they can really get to know this uglier side of each other and eventually strengthen those feelings.”

“Yeah, they’re seeing  _ everything _ now, the good and the bad, so there’s room to grow. We were joking about them shooting each other, but we’re going to learn Marcus’ motives for doing that, and it has nothing to do with Miguel.”

“Miguel was collateral damage,” Rafael added.

Sonny nodded. “Exactly. So I think once they get past that, they’re going to be completely cracked open and raw, and I absolutely see how romance could blossom there.”

As much as it pained him, he knew it was going to happen. 

“Alright,” Kat stopped the camera, and the light turned red again. “We’re moving on to fan questions now, from Twitter. Again no spoilers, this is going up this week.”

“Teasers only,” Rafael said, and Kat gave them a signal as the light turned to green.

“Were you excited to start filming again?”

“Absolutely,” Sonny said, beaming. “We spend so much time together on set that the entire cast and crew became a family. So it feels like going away on holiday then coming back home and you’re just so happy to see everybody again, to go back to your routine.”

When he turned to Rafael, his co-star was smiling softly at him, nodding along to his words. “We’re all good friends here, and I see these people more than I see my actual family. I think Sonny and I have had more lunches together than I’ve had with my own mother, so it does feel weird to say goodbye to that, even if just for a few weeks.”

“Rafael, do you miss being on Broadway?,” Kat asked.

“I do. It’s completely different from being on TV, and I miss that rush of opening a new show, seeing that immediate response from the crowd, but also I know that when I go back I’ll miss doing this,” Rafael said, gesturing between himself and the camera. “I’m happy here for now, I’m not leaving until they write me off.”

Sonny laughed lightly. “They wouldn’t dare,” he said, and he meant it. They were both the stars and Sonny’s name was right beside Rafael’s in the opening credits, but there was no show without him - Sonny would be the first to say it. 

Kat moved on to the next question, reading from her notes. “Are you still in contact with the actors who played your romantic interests on season 1?” 

“I don’t really see Amanda anymore, she went back to LA once her character left,” Sonny said. He and Rollins had hit it off, but they weren’t close. “I think the last time we saw her was at the wrap party, but she texted me a picture of her dog the other day, so we’re definitely in good terms.” 

“I do see Alex every other week, we live just a few blocks from each other. We have a lot in common, we’re both gay, both Cuban-American, both from the Bronx, both started on Broadway, so there’s always a lot to talk about,” Rafael said with a fond smile, but Sonny could barely hear past the ringing in his ears.

He’d seen pictures of Rafael and Alex Muñoz around New York; they seemed like good friends then, but Sonny had no idea that Muñoz was gay. Suddenly all the time he and Rafael spent together, on and off set, seemed to gain another connotation.

Sonny remembered seeing them whispering in corners, laughing, Muñoz’s hand on Rafael’s back. He remembered them (their characters) kissing, the looks, the scenes of them together in bed. He remembered the pictures of them in gossip magazines, after work, at dinner, at parties. 

Rafael had never mentioned anything before, he had never said he was taken; but he’d never said he was single, either.

“And the last question,” Kat continued, unaware Sonny’s internal spiral.

Sonny cleared his throat and looked away from her, from the man beside him, wishing he’d kept that bottle of water.

“What is your favorite thing about working together?” 

There was a pause, and he knew Rafael was looking at him, but he couldn’t bear to return the look, so he kept his eyes fixed on the camera in front of them.

“Sonny’s generosity,” Rafael started. “He cares about everyone he works with, and he’s never short on patience and kindness when it comes to his scene partners. I’m very lucky to work with someone who’s always willing to push it a little further, to stay a little longer, to try a few more takes. I feel like him striving for greatness makes me a better actor.”

Sonny swallowed even harder now, looking down at his lap. He knew he was blushing, he could feel it from the tip of his ears all the way down his neck. 

He let out an embarrassed laugh.

“Thank you,” he said, turning to Rafael with a lopsided grin. “You’re already great without me pushing you overtime, but my favorite thing about you is your willingness to talk things out and break scenes down with me. You give everything meaning, and it makes my job much easier.”

“Aren’t we a great duo?,” Rafael laughed, leaning towards him with a cheeky smile.

“I think so,” he smiled back.

“Great,” Kat said. “Now we need intros and outros, then I’ll need each of you individually to read a couple lines for the Instagram promos.”

Sonny went with the flow in a daze. He couldn’t get Rafael’s words about Muñoz out of his head. He did everything Kat told him to do, but once she said he was good to go he fled without looking back, going straight to his dressing room.

Closing the door behind himself, Sonny let out a shaky breath before grabbing his bottle of water from his mini fridge. He would have grabbed a beer if he didn’t have another handful of scenes to film. Most of them with Rafael.

He gulped half the bottle down in one go, breaking out in a pant once he had drained it. 

His feelings for his co-star had gotten out of hand, that was true, but it had never  _ affected  _ him like this. It had never felt like the end of the world.

Working with Rafael was inspiring in many different ways. Sonny knew who he was before they got cast, obviously; he was a Broadway legend before he became a TV star and any self-respecting actor knew his name. Sonny had been  _ stocked  _ to audition beside him, then eventually to star alongside him. 

Rafael was already out and proud when they started working together - Sonny remembered the New York Times interview in which he proudly announced he was gay, he’d read it multiple times. Sonny, however, was not out when they met. 

It didn’t take long for him to tell Rafael he was bisexual, but it took over a year after that for him to come out publicly. His coming out had been much less glamorous - he’d announced it via Twitter, but the New York Times did call him for an in-depth interview a couple days later.

He and Rafael had celebrated together, drinking champagne under the moonlight in Rafael’s balcony, and Sonny was stupidly charmed by everything about him; Rafael’s honesty, his talent, his love for art and his dedication to his craft. 

They became great friends, and the murmurs surrounding their characters only got louder because of that. Sonny had once found himself sucked into a Twitter thread made by fans of the show, explaining why it was so important for queer actors to play queer characters, and he became hyper-aware of his responsibility. 

And along with their very educated takes on accurate representation, a lot of fans believed that, because both he and Rafael were interested in men, their characters should be together, and suddenly everybody was talking about “Marcuel”. 

Sonny and Rafael weren’t allowed to talk about it, but, according to the writers, that was the endgame, so Sonny was glad to see their number of supporters grow and create their own community of shippers. 

However, for Sonny, thinking about their characters getting together made his heart plummet. Mike Dodds, the showrunner and Sonny’s close friend, had told him that the plan was for this season to end with a kiss between the two, and Sonny was devastated. 

He would hate to touch Rafael as anyone other than himself.

It would break his heart to see  _ anyone _ but himself with Rafael, but now the image of Rafael and Alex Muñoz had taken residence in his brain, and it hurt like hell. 

There was a knock on his door, and Sonny wiped around as if he’d been caught doing something wrong. In a way, he guessed harbouring feelings for his co-star wasn’t  _ right _ and having a breakdown mid-day while at work wasn’t ideal either, but he set the bottle down on his coffee table and dried his sweaty hands on his pants.

“It’s open,” he said, and quickly checked himself in the mirror. He was glad that his inner turmoil didn’t seem to show on his face.

Unsurprisingly, it was Rafael, looking at him with a mix of worry and confusion.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he cleared his throat. “Just winding down, you know. The next few scenes are going to be intense, I’m trying to save up some energy.”

They’d been doing this long enough for Rafael to know he was bullshitting, so he didn’t even flinch when the other man raised an eyebrow at him, closing the door behind himself. 

Sonny’s heart went into overdrive.

“Was it something I said?,” Rafael asked, his voice low and unassuming. 

“Of course not,” he said quickly. “I just want to give you my all for your takes.”

“You always do.”

“I try,” Sonny nodded almost frantically. “But you’re always so good, it’s hard for me to keep up sometimes.”

“I’m only as good as you, Sonny,” he always said that - like he didn’t know that the work he did looked like magic. “Are you sure you’re okay? You can tell me if I did or said something you didn’t like, I won’t be offended. Much.”

Sonny forced himself to smile at him. “Raf, I promise, we’re good.”

Rafael studied his face for a moment, then nodded. “What do you say we steal some snacks from the writers’ room?”

This time, Sonny’s smile was genuine. “After you.”

* * *

Rafael’s scenes went off without a hitch; the man was machine, delivering line after line without hesitation, without breaking. Sonny was in awe of him, but he kept it down, suppressed, as hidden as he could. 

Much like Sonny with Rafael, Marcus was in love with Miguel, but he wasn’t supposed to let it show too much just yet. 

Things really started spiraling, however, later that same day, when they were filming in Miguel’s office. 

They started with Rafael’s takes, taking three angles, including Sonny’s reactions, but when it came around to film Sonny’s takes, he couldn’t do it. His delivery was off, his words were clipped; all his pauses were unbalanced, and he kept forgetting his lines. 

Rafael was starting to look at him with worry in his eyes again, and he hated it.

“Thank you for meeting with me,” Sonny was saying, and Rafael rolled his eyes. He was perfect. “I feel like I’ve done nothing but chase you these past couple days.”

“My apologies if I’m not looking forward to my next encounter with your gun,” Rafael bit back.

And then there was silence.

Rafael didn’t move, waiting for Sonny to say his line so they could continue without having to reset. But nothing came; he couldn’t remember what he was supposed to say, not while he wondered if Muñoz was waiting for Rafael to go home to him.

This was ridiculous.

“Cut!,” yelled Olivia, and she was clearly frustrated. He could swear he heard half the crew grunt in annoyance.

Sonny’s poor make up artist had been drying sweat from his forehead for hours now, and he was sure she was about to run out of blotting paper. He offered her a small smile as she tried to make him look less shiny.

“What’s going on?,” Rafael asked in a whisper, keeping it between themselves.

“I don’t know,” he huffed, shaking his head. “I just can’t--”

“I knew you weren’t being honest with me earlier, but I think it’s time you come out and say it now, Sonny,” Rafael said urgently. “What’s the problem?”

“Are you dating Muñoz?,” Sonny asked, looking straight into Rafael’s eyes.

Rafael’s eyebrow jumped into his hairline. “What?”

“You know, the interview,” he pressed. “What you said about seeing him all the time, about having everything in common.”

“Alex and I are friends the same way you and Amanda are friends,” he said passively, and Sonny gritted his teeth.

“No, it’s  _ not  _ the same. I never see Amanda.”

“Carisi!,” Olivia called, and Sonny winced. “Take 5! And if you need to take your script with you, please do.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. He turned on his heel and left; he pushed through the crew, he pushed through every door, until he’d exited the studio altogether. 

Sonny found himself in the back of the building, where people often came for a smoke. It was quiet, no cars around, and Sonny spotted a squirrel running around freely, unperturbed.

He leaned against the red brick wall and let out a long, deep breath that made him curl inward as the tension seized his body tightly. 

This was so unprofessional; Sonny had never acted like this. He had never been unable to deliver, his emotions had never been his enemy when it came to acting. On the contrary, he poured everything that was in his heart into his performances, he’d always used his feelings as a catalyst in scenes.

But now both his heart and his brain were muddied by Rafael’s words.

As if summoned, the emergency exit door banged open and Rafael came out, looking furious.

“What the hell is going on?,” he demanded. “Cut the crap, Sonny, you owe it to me to be honest!”

“What do you want me to say, uh?,” Sonny pushed away from the wall. “You want to hear how the idea of you and Muñoz dating makes my skin crawl? Is that it?”

Rafael looked taken aback, and when he spoke his voice was much softer. “Why?”

“You know why!,” Sonny exploded, and the squirrel ran for cover.

There was silence again, the two of them staring at each other. Now that the truth was out, Sonny let the fight leave him and stood up straighter. He had no idea what kind of repercussions this was going to have for him, but he’d face whatever it was.

“You never said anything,” Rafael said after a moment, eyes wide.

“Neither did you,” Sonny huffed. “I thought you and Alex were just friends.”

“We  _ are  _ just friends,” Rafael said, and Sonny could breathe again, all the air escaping him at once. “Sonny, Alex is married. I thought you knew that.”

He shook his head, feeling like he was about to float away like a balloon.

“Sonny,” Rafael said softly under his breath. 

He looked at Rafael, his heart stuttering in his chest as he watched the other man step closer to him slowly. Once they were close enough, Rafael’s hand came up, reaching for him, curling around the back of his neck.

And then he was leaning down as Rafael pulled him in.

Their lips pressed together lightly, tentatively. Sonny accidently let out a pained sort of noise, but Rafael only caressed the back of his neck in response, comforting him. 

Sonny melted into him as the touch grounded him, his weight pressing into Rafael’s body. He wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tight. 

The kiss didn’t really escalate from that single soft press of lips, but Sonny was happy to take his time; he wanted to memorize everything about this moment, from the smell of Rafael’s aftershave to way he was holding Sonny.

“I thought being dramatic was my thing,” Rafael teased once their lips parted, and his smirk was so cheeky Sonny felt his heart squeeze in his chest. 

“I’m sorry,” Sonny said. “I was stupid and unprofessional. I really didn’t mean for it to get this bad, but just the thought of you…”

Rafael shushed him, shaking his head. “Let’s not think about that. Sonny, one of the most commendable things about you is that you’re never scared of wearing your heart on your sleeve.”

Sonny chuckles. “Well, that kinda backfired this time.”

“Did it?,” Rafael smiled. “Because from where I’m standing the results were really positive.”

“I guess you’re right,” he blushed.

“I always am.”

Rafael leaned in to kiss him again, and this time their kiss went places Sonny never wanted to come back from.

* * *

“I’ve been waiting for this for years,” Sonny confessed, pent up energy thrumming through him even in that quiet moment.

He reached for Rafael’s chin and gently tilted his head back. His words caught in his throat for a moment; Rafael’s eyes were clear green, overflowing with joy.

“No more waiting,” Rafael said between them. 

Sonny leaned down, kissing him delicately, tentatively. But then Rafael made a soft noise in the back of his throat, a pleased little hum that made Sonny’s heart sing, and before he knew it he was licking into his boyfriend’s mouth, chasing more sounds like that.

Rafael gave as good as he got, and pulled Sonny tighter into him and he opened his mouth to his exploring tongue. Sonny held back a noise of his own, but made up for it by coaxing Rafael’s tongue into play.

“Cut!,” Olivia yelled, exasperated, and they broke their kiss in short pants. “Guys, how many times do I have to tell you?  _ No tongue _ . This is not that kind of show.”

“Sorry, Liv,” Sonny said, embarrassed.

“It’s my fault,” Rafael joked, looking like the cat who ate the canary. “I’m too irresistible.”

“Very funny,” Olivia signaled to the cameras. “Come on, let’s wrap it. Lights!”

The studio lights went down, and Sonny and Rafael, still in an embrace, were bathed in their soft fake-apartment light again. 

They said their lines smoothly, just whispers between each other, and when they kissed this time, Sonny was reminded of their very first kiss; it was tender and innocent, the beginning of a conversation that promised to last all night, that’d go until past the sunrise.

Sonny sighed when they pulled away and pressed their foreheads together. “No more waiting,” he repeated.

He let a couple seconds go by before he broke into a huge grin, and then Rafael was laughing as the crew celebrated loudly. 

“That’s a wrap on season 3!,” Olivia announced, absolutely delighted. 

There were claps, singing, hugs, and even a few tears as the crew started saying their goodbyes and talking of plans to see each other before the next season started, but Sonny and Rafael were still wrapped up in each other. 

“You know,” Sonny started. “Wrapping doesn’t feel that sad this time.” 

“Yeah,” Rafael hugged him tighter. “I don’t have to miss you this time.”

Sonny pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. “Not for one second, Raf.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've heard rumours that ao3 is no longer counting views from users who aren't registered, but you can still leave kudos. So if you were here and you enjoyed this story, please let me know in some way!! I'd love to hear from you <3
> 
> See you soon with another entry for the bingo! <3


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